Wearable Health Tech Brings Research to People

Researchers are exploring new ways to utilize microwave technology in monitoring and assessing health conditions. The results of experiments conducted with realistic models are promising. Bras that detect breast cancer, leg sleeves that identify blood clots, and a helmet that monitors the effects of radiation therapy offer a glimpse into what future healthcare might look like. Read on to learn more.

Wearables: Controlling Machines on the Move

Engineers have developed a next-generation wearable system that enables people to control machines using everyday gestures — even while running, riding in a car, or floating on turbulent ocean waves. Read on to learn more about it.

Multifunctional ANF/Mxene-Enhanced Hydrogels for Flexible EMI Shielding and Wearable Sensing Applications

Researchers from Harbin Institute of Technology and their collaborators have developed a multifunctional polyelectrolyte hydrogel reinforced with aramid nanofibers (ANFs) and MXene nanosheets, achieving outstanding performance in absorption-dominated electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and wearable sensing. Read on to learn more.

Wireless Patch Enables Early Cancer Detection

Researchers have developed a groundbreaking, battery-free wearable patch that could help detect skin cancer earlier and more accurately, potentially saving lives by making screening more...

2025 Product of the Year

Throughout the year, the editors of Medical Design Briefs choose a Product of the Month that has exceptional technical merit and practical value for MDB’s design engineering readers.

The Promise and Challenge of On-Body Biosensors: A Perspective on Clinical Utility and Commercial Viability in Patient Management

On-body biosensors have crossed the threshold from technological novelty to clinical tool driving medical decisions. The most successful devices share common traits: They provide clinically actionable information, reliably measure rapidly changing biomarkers, account for confounding variables, and utilize established reimbursement pathways. Read on to learn more about them.

Infant Wearable Uses Artificial Intelligence for At-Home Assessments

During the first two years of life, the motor development of children is monitored closely, as motion is the natural base for their other development and interaction with the environment. Current methods do not allow accurate developmental monitoring throughout early childhood. MAIJU (Motor Assessment of Infants with a Jumpsuit) is designed to solve these problems. Read on to learn more about it.

Self-Cleaning Sweat Sensors Offer Comfortable Monitoring

Researchers have developed novel ISM-based sweat sensors that feature enhanced signal stability and performance and avoid skin contact, while also being reusable, making them practical for daily use. Read on to learn more.

The Impact of Wearables on Healthcare

Listen to the new season of the Medical Design Briefs podcast. These four episodes focus on the impact of wearables on healthcare.

Science

What wearable medical device uses tumor-treating fields delivered through adhesive transducer arrays to treat advanced non-small cell lung cancer?

Wearable Sensor Could Help Patients with Bipolar Disorder Track Medication Levels Through Sweat

Although lithium is highly effective to treat bipolar disorder, the chemical has a narrow therapeutic window — too high a dose can be toxic to patients, causing kidney damage, thyroid damage, or even death, while too low a dose renders the treatment ineffective. Read on to learn how a wearable sensor may thwart this issue.

Regulatory

What consumer technology device became the first FDA-approved over-the-counter (OTC) assistive hearing device for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss?

Balancing Miniaturization, Power, and Compliance in Sensor Design

In this Q&A with Medical Design Briefs, Michael Klitzke, principal system architect at TE Connectivity, discusses how advances in sensor miniaturization, packaging,...

Painless Diabetes Care: Smarter Drug Delivery

A wearable technology enables real-time, noninvasive tracking and optimized treatment for diabetic patients. It enables precise drug dosing through continuous, real-time monitoring of disease...

Creating Wearables for Preventative Healthcare

Wearables detect early signs of health issues, paving the way for transforming preventative healthcare.

Privacy and Data Security in the Era of Medical Wearables

As we continue to explore the impact of wearables on healthcare, this episode focuses on privacy and data security in the era of medical wearables. Wearables are collecting vast...

Wristband All-in-One Monitor for Diabetes, Cardio Care

A wearable wristband could significantly improve diabetes management by continuously tracking not only glucose but also other chemical and cardiovascular signals that influence disease progression and overall health. Read on to learn more.

CO-TENG: An Origami-Inspired Self-Powering Sensor for Smart Wearables

Sensors are used everywhere. But traditional sensors often rely on rigid components and batteries, limiting their applications in soft systems. To address this, researchers have developed a smarter alternative. Using a paper-folding technique in combination with a triboelectric nanogenerator, they created a novel energy-harvesting sensor with promising potential for next-gen soft devices. Read on to learn more.

DNA-Inspired Design for Stronger, Flexible Sensors for Wearables

A fiber sensor inspired by the shape of DNA, developed by researchers at Shinshu University, introduces a new design for more durable, flexible fiber sensors in wearables. Read on to learn more.

Optoelectronic Patch Could Transform Blood Pressure Monitoring

A flexible optoelectronic patch, or ePatch, that is worn on a patient’s skin can continuously monitor blood pressure without the need for compressible cuffs or wired devices....

Integrating AI into Medical Wearables

Artificial intelligence is transforming the design and function of wearable medical devices.

Flexible Material Offers Promise for Self-Powered Wearable Sensors

Could clothing monitor a person’s health in real time, because the clothing itself is a self-powered sensor? A new material created through electrospinning, which is a...

Wearable Platform Enables Continuous Measurement Using Ambient Light

Researchers have developed a next-generation wearable platform that enables 24-hour continuous measurement by using ambient light as an energy source and optimizing power...

How Wearables Are Transforming Chronic Disease Management

Wearable devices expand the ability to identify patients earlier and deliver more targeted treatments.

Long-Lasting 3D Printed Wearable Transforms Health Monitoring

A long-lasting, 3D-printed, adhesive-free wearable provides a more comprehensive picture of a user’s physiological state. The device, which measures water vapor and skin emissions of gases, continuously tracks and logs physiological data associated with dehydration, metabolic shifts, and stress levels. Read on to learn more.

Wearable Lactation Pads Detect Chemicals in Milk

Engineers have developed a smart lactation pad that can quantify a wide range of chemicals in breast milk in real time. Read on to learn more.

Technology

What implantable sensor system became the first FDA-cleared continuous glucose monitor designed to remain in the body for up to 90 days?

3D Ink Improves Comfort, Durability of ‘Smart Wearables’

Researchers have demonstrated a 3D ink printing method for so-called smart fabrics that continues to perform well after repeated washings and abrasion tests. The research...

Wearable Mimics CT Scans, Delivers Continuous Monitoring of Heart, Lungs

Researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind wearable device capable of continuously scanning the lungs and heart of hospital patients while they rest in bed —...